Thoughts, news and views on politics, economics, business and development in Southeast Asia

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Quote of the week: Obama's hands are full of blood

"There are two types of visitors, good and bad. Obama is bad. He might be of a different skin colour from George Bush, but he still oppressed the Muslims. He might have grown up in Indonesia, but that's no basis for not rejecting him. He is a cruel figure, his hands are full of blood and he has no sympathy."

Nur Alam, a spokesman for Hizbut Tahrir, a hardline Islamic group in Indonesia, proffers his opinion on the upcoming visit of US President Barack Obama. Several thousand Muslim Indonesians rallied across the country over the week in protest at Obama's trip.

But the bilious anti-Obama campaigners, who are angry about the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and US support for Israel, are definitely in a tiny minority. Many Indonesians are looking forward to Obama's return to the country where he lived for four years as a boy.